Women In One of the Driest Climates Swear by This Ingrediant For Hydration

The article includes Dr. Patel‘s expert commentary on how prickly pear seed oil can help hydrate your skin and other benifits.

How do the people in on of the driest climates keep their skin and hair moisturized? One way is prickly pear seed oil. I first came across the Moroccan beauty mainstay in the Marrakesh Medina, during a beauty class with Around the World Beauty’s Stephanie Flor. The spiny fruit—which is basically a pear, but with spikes (AKA “prickly”)—flourishes in the arid climate of the Sahara, and has been an integral part of Berber women’s skin-care routines for centuries. They’ve used it as an antibacterial for medicinal purposes, but they’ve also made use of it to nourish and rehydrate hair and skin, too.

“The extract contains a lot of vitamin E, oleic acid and linoleic acid. These oils have anti-inflammatory properties and do not clog pores, or cause acne,” says board certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare, Purvisha Patel MD. “The fruit also has a lot of vitamin B, beta carotene and iron. This is a great ingredient for acne-prone skin. It is best used as a moisturizer in oil form.”

So basically, it does a whole lot for any type of skin. To get the most out of any sort of prickly pear product, prep your skin with ingredients like retinol, cacay oil, bakuchiol, vitamin A or any sort of alpha hydroxy acid, which Dr. Patel says can “help exfoliate the skin and get the active in deeper to work.” Here, seven of our favorite prickly pear products to watch it work its magic for yourself.